Review of U Turn (1997) by Aaron W — 17 Dec 2012
A twist too far...
...spoils the ending, which reveals all the characters to have essentially the same relationship, a very unsatisfying answer to the questions posed earlier. However, I come back to this film time and time again, for it's hyper-lucid imagery, humour, horror, and haunting score by Ennio Morricone. And even though I always know how it will turn out, I find the premise so exciting every time. Stone's editing is second to none, and his camerawork is outstanding. The situations are tense and exciting, and the characters, until the end, are rich and contrasting. My only gripe is the total nihilism of the last ten minutes, which destroys any sense of purpose, however the sheer ludicrous horror always keeps me watching to the end.
There are so many and such wonderful cameos, from the blind American Indian to the "TNT" greaser played by Joachim Phoenix.
This film is about luck, and how trying to change your luck means sacrificing trust. It seems to be saying, sometimes you need to ride the bad streak, just to hold together more important things - like human relationships. None of the characters are willing to do this, and their luck-changing strategies then fail. Seems nihilistic, till you stop and ask, did they really leave the table when the deck ran cold? I don't think so. I think they just tilted.
This review of U Turn (1997) was written by Aaron W on 17 Dec 2012.
U Turn has generally received positive reviews.
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